Just after E3, the video game world is still in turmoil and this time it’s in Cannes that everything is happening. Here is the summary accompanied by our first opinions on the titles that we were able to approach.
What is IDEF?
It’s’Interactive & Digital Entertainment Festival. This is a trade show dedicated to entertainment software. This 2009 edition is the 4th and it took place from Tuesday June 30 to Thursday July 2 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
Here is the official press release:
The key meeting point for the video game industry
IDEF, a 3-day trade fair bringing together the major players in the video game industry, has been enjoying growing success since 2005. Today it is the benchmark B to B meeting for the sector’s activity in Southern Europe.
The rapidly growing interactive entertainment market reached 2008 a new historical sales record in France with a turnover of 3.4 billion euros. France thus became in 2008 the largest European user of video games behind the United Kingdom.
In 2008, IDEF was once again acclaimed for its status as an international platform for leisure software businesses. More than 100 European exhibitors gathered there for the 2008 edition. Each year, more and more publishers are attracted by this meeting. As proof, the number of exhibitors increased by almost 40% in 2008 compared to the previous edition.
Since its creation in 2005, IDEF has established itself as the benchmark for professional meetings for buyers of leisure software from Southern Europe. Year after year, this show benefits from increased visibility and legitimacy.
By offering more than 3,500 meetings over 3 days, the IDEF allows manufacturers, publishers and distributors to meet buyers in the profession. This show is an opportunity to discover the trends and key figures of the market as well as the novelties offered by each exhibitor.
Leisure software: an evolving sector at the heart of current challenges
With the development of digital technologies, video games are taking an increasing place in the daily life of the French. In order to encourage responsible consumption of video games, the players in this sector, members of the Syndicate of Leisure Software Publishers ” SELL », Actively act in favor of consumer information.
At a time when the major debates around prevention are taking place on the public scene in order to ensure effective protection of minors, as well as better information for parents on video games, publishers of entertainment software are supporting the standard. european PEGI (Pan European Game Information) and joined forces with public and private partners to launch the site www.pedagojeux.fr
The 2009 edition, a veritable panorama of all the entertainment software activity, will also be an opportunity to learn about the evolution of the video game industry.
Quantified summary of IDEF 2009:
- 2,000 participants
- 800 buyers
- 1,300 people for the evening
- Show growing by + 15%
- Strong Spanish presence
- “Jeu Donne”: More than 200 participants, € 68,000 donated to the CFPE
